Ayenna, Oz's Second Green Girl
by Elphie Bubble
Summary: When a second green girl appears in Oz, long after Elphaba's demise, what new discoveries will be made?
1. Journey

This is my first Wicked fanfic, as well as my first on this site, so please be kind if I am not too sure about what I am doing around the site. I love nice reviews and constructive critism. Surprisingly, I am not a huge fan of flaming. This story is based on the musical and it is set about 16 years after where the musical lets off.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Wicked, or any of the canon characters. They belong to Gregory MacGuire and Stephen Schwartz.

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Ayenna stared at the blank, gray wall of the orphanage where she had spent of her life. She glanced down at her half-packed threadbare bags, gave her head a little shake, and started to pack again. In the land of Oz, if you were human, you were considered an official adult as soon as you turned sixteen. For Ayenna, that meant that she could leave the Oz Home for Parentless Children today, since it was her sixteenth birthday. Although she had always dreamed of leaving the orphanage, now that the time was finally here, she was scared. What would she do with her life outside of these dreary walls? Everything had been provided for her in the orphanage, and she wasn't sure if she would be able to support herself.

"Oh well," she whispered to herself as she finished packing and gathered her few belongings. She left her room and went into the entryway of the orphanage where a wrinkled, kind-looking old woman stood waiting.

"Oh my dear, we shall miss you!" the woman cried, burying Ayenna in a tight hug.

"I'm going to miss you too, Mother Francis," Ayenna said, returning the hug.

"Is Ayenna leaving?" asked a young boy with red hair as he came out of the kitchen into the entryway, followed by all of the other orphans who had just been eating their lunch.

"Yes, I'm afraid so, Trip," the old woman replied.

"No!" Trip and the others chorused as one.

Ayenna willed herself not to cry. She would miss all the children terribly, but she would miss Trip the most. The ten year-old had come to the orphanage when he was a toddler, and Ayenna had connected with him and had practically raised him. He thought of her as a mix between a mother, big sister, and best friend. It would break both of their hearts for her to leave, but she had no choice. She dropped her bags and rushed over to him, taking his tearstained face in her hands. She wiped away his tears and kissed his forehead tenderly.

"Enna!" he said, calling her by the nickname he had made up for her, "Don't leave! Please?"

"Trip, I have to leave. You know I do. But I promise, I will never forget you. Do you understand? One day I will see you again, no matter what."

"No you won't," Trip said, his voice steadily rising, "You'll forget all of us and get married and live happily ever after. You won't need us anymore." He jerked away from her and ran, pounding up the steps to his room.

Ayenna couldn't stop a tear from rolling down her face, but she quickly brushed it away. All the other children looked at her with wide eyes, several of them were crying as well. Ayenna remembered what it was like to be in their position, watching one of her friends who had grown up leaving for good. She hugged each of them in turn and hugged Mother Francis once more. Then, before she could change her mind, she gathered her bags once more, opened the front door, and walked out. She didn't look back, not even to see the crying boy looking out his bedroom window, willing her to come back with all the mind power he had in his scrawny, ten-year old body.

Ayenna thought over what she would do now for the hundredth time. She would walk to the Emerald City since it was the closest town. She had some money from doing odd jobs around the orphanage, so she could pay for lodging for a few nights. She would get settled in, and first thing in the morning, she would go looking for a job.

As she walked along, she thought back to what Trip had said about her marrying and living happily ever after. She couldn't help but doubt that she would ever be married. After all, she had never even been considered for adoption because of her green skin. She would probably never be considered for marriage either. Besides, she didn't believe in happily ever after. Although she had always been loved by everyone at the orphanage, she still felt very out of place there. In addition to her green skin, she had found at a young age that she could sometimes make strange things happen, just by pointing at them or thinking things. She had never spoken of it to anyone for fear of further exclusion. She also never used these powers if she could help it. She kept hoping that if she ignored them, they would go away.

Before too long, Ayenna got off the dirt path she had been traveling on in favor of a road of paved yellow bricks. Everyone knew the Yellow Brick Road, as it was called, led to the Emerald City, where the Wizard of Oz had once lived, and which was now the home of the woman who had ruled for about sixteen years now, Glinda the Good. Although rumors tended to be slow to reach the orphanage, that one had arrived quickly. The wizard had been taken away by the same miraculous contraption that had brought him to them. Sadness had followed that announcement, but the rumor of what had happened just before that had been even quicker to reach the orphanage. The Wicked Witch of the West had been killed. When that news had arrived, there had been celebrating throughout Oz. Everyone had praised the good witch Dorothy's name. Of course, all that had happened before Ayenna's birth, but people still talked about it often. Ayenna realized that she was around the same age Dorothy had been when she performed the miracle. Ayenna had always dreamed of doing something that the citizens of Oz would all recognize her for. People said that she had been green, the only other person that had ever lived in Oz, that Ayenna knew of, that shared her green skin, besides the elves. Now that she was dead, Ayenna really felt like an oddity.

Ayenna pushed her thoughts from her mind and concentrated solely on the view in front of her. She came over the crest of a hill in the yellow road and found herself looking at the glittering spires of the Emerald City. She had only been here once when Mother Francis had brought them all on a trip to see Glinda the Good give a speech. She had only been six at the time, so the speech had been rather wasted on her, but she had remembered the beauty and freedom the city inspired in her. Her walk sped up with eagerness, and a few moments later, she was entering the Emerald City through the front gates that at one time had been guarded, but now that the Wicked Witch of the West was gone, they were wide-open to anyone who wished to enter. She craned her neck to better see the gleaming green buildings and all the equally colorful people.

However, she hadn't gotten very far into the city before she was stopped by a scream. She spun to see the middle-aged woman who was screaming, was pointing at her


	2. Mistaken Identity

So, here is the second installment of my story. I'm sorry about the delay, but please bear with me. School is very hectic, and I am stressed to the max. Luckily, I can use writing as an escape...when I find time. Just remember, reviews make my day!

Irish-Aire: Thanks so much for the encouragement! You have no idea how much it means to me.

ClarkeWithAnE: How ever can I express my graditution for the kind words? Haha. Glinda moment. Thanks for the constructive criticism as well; I will definitely keep it in mind.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Wicked, or any of the canon characters. They belong to Gregory MacGuire and Stephen Schwartz.

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"The Witch has come back to haunt us!" the woman cried, "See her green skin?"

"I'm n-no-not her!" Ayenna stuttered in response to the accusing finger pointed at her.

The woman's screaming and proclamation had attracted a crowd that all gazed at Ayenna with the same fear and hatred as the first woman.

Suddenly, a young man pushed through the crowd and took Ayenna by the arm.

"Don't panic," he told the crowd, "She is not the Witch. The Witch is dead, remember?"

"But she has green skin," shouted someone from the throng.

"Just an unfortunate coincidence in her birth, I'm sure. Now if you don't mind, we are going to go," he said, using his grip on her arm to pull her away from the people.

The crowd still didn't seem convinced, but nevertheless, they parted to let the young man and her through. The people seemed to have respect for the boy. He continued to pull her down the street until they came to a small house, green of course. He opened the door and gestured for her to enter. When she did, he shut the door closed behind her.

Ayenna looked around the dim room they had just entered. It was lit mainly with candles, and the walls were a burnt red color. After all the green of the buildings, the red was a welcome change. The room also housed a small, comfortable looking sofa and various other chairs.

"Sit down, sit down," the young man said, pointing to the sofa.

Ayenna sat down, finding the chair even more comfortable than it had looked. She looked up expectantly at the boy, waiting to find out why she had been brought here.

However, the boy said nothing. Instead, he left the living room and went into the adjacent kitchen. "Would you like something to eat?" he asked.

Ayenna considered. She hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast that morning, and it was already late afternoon. "Yes, please," she said.

He reentered the living room with a loaf of bread and a tub of Oz Best Butter. He buttered a piece of the bread and handed it to her. She gratefully accepted it and bit into it with a gusto.

"So," he said, sitting down himself, "I am Dhert. Who are you, and how do you come to be in the Emerald City?"

"My name is Ayenna," she said as soon as she had swallowed her bite of bread, "I never knew my parents. I don't even know if they are still alive. I was left at an orphanage not too far from here when I was just a baby. Today is my sixteenth birthday so I got to leave the orphanage. I decided to come here and try to find a job."

"Oh. I'm sorry about your parents," Dhert said.

"It's ok. It's not your fault. Besides, how can I miss someone I never met?" Ayenna said with a smile.

"I hate to bring this up, but can you tell me about your...," he gestured to her skin.

"Oh. That. You were right, it was just a coincidence of my birth as far as I can tell. I'm not evil or anything."

"Well, of course. I just wondered. It's not all that often that you see people with green skin. Just realize that you may have difficulty getting any kind of job anywhere in Oz because of it. People tend to be overly leery of anyone who makes them think of the Wicked Witch," Dhert told her.

"Yes, well, I've never expected my life to be easy," Ayenna said with a hint of bitterness.

"Look, my father owns the Emerald City Gazette. I work for him. If I recommended you, I'm sure he'd give you a job. I mean, if you want it."

"Really? That would be great!" Ayenna cried, excited.

He grinned, happy at her eagerness, "Well, I'll let him know about you the next time I see him. He will be back in two days. Right now he is down in Munchkin Rock doing a story on the annual Big Small Folk Festival. You're welcome to stay here until then, though."

Ayenna felt she had to put her foot down at this point, "No, that's fine. I'm sure I can find somewhere to stay."

He glanced at the state of her clothes and suitcases and looked slightly incredulous.

"Don't worry about me, I have enough money," she said, "Really." she added in response to another unconvinced look from him.

"Well, ok. But please don't hesitate to ask for help if you need it," he told her.

"I won't," she promised, while vowing silently to never ask help from him if she could avoid it, "Well, I suppose I should be going. I need to find lodgings, and this is a big city."

"Let me at least write down the name of a decent inn for you," he offered.

"Ok," she said gratefully.

A few moments later, she gathered her bags again, and left the house with a slip of paper clutched in one green hand. As she glimpsed her skin, she remembered the uproar it had caused earlier and determined to make herself as small as possible and stay out of everyones way. Of course, this was much easier said than done in a town as large as the Emerald City. Ayenna found herself staring at the ground excessively to keep people from seeing her face. She was so absorbed with this that she quite failed to see where she was going and ended up in a throng of people, munchkins, and animals cheering wildly. Almost all of them were wearing pink (with the exception of the animals, who were mostly waving pink flags and posters) so bright it caused dots to float across her vision for several seconds every time her eyes encountered it. It took her a few moments to realize what it was they were so enthusiastic about. She finally looked forward where a temporary stage had been constructed and hung with pink garland. On it was a beautiful blonde lady who appeared to be about twenty-five, though she was most certainly at least ten years older. Ayenna gasped. She knew who the lady was; was there anyone in Oz who didn't? She was Glinda Upland of the Upper Uplands, the Good Witch of the North who was the ruler of all of Oz. She was wearing a large, puffy gown, that was, surprisingly, pink. A matching pink crown sat atop her golden curls and she was holding a silver, star-capped wand. She appeared to be attempting to make a speech, but the cheering crowd wouldn't be quiet long enough to let her get out more than a couple of words.

After several minutes, the multitude finally quieted enough for her to talk.

"Fellow Ozians," she exclaimed loftily, "I have come here today to tell you about the new anti-pollution campaign I have started to keep our buildings sparkling gree--" Glinda stopped suddenly as her eyes landed on Ayenna and grew wider and wider, "Sweet Oz! Can it be…Elphaba?"

The crowd all looked at Ayenna. She saw fear and hatred in many of their eyes.

"Elphie? Is that you?" Glinda asked again. Her voice was very soft, but it could still be heard because the roaring people had all gone completely silent.


	3. Conversation with a Witch

Thanks for the overwhelming response, everyone! 

Elphaba Fanatic- When I wrote the part where Glinda mistakes Ayenna for Elphaba, I tried to put myself in Glinda's shoes and write it as I thought she would behave. You must take into consideration that Glinda hasn't seen Elphie for 15 years and she misses her terribly. Plus, she says the name before she even thinks about what she is saying. She then catches herself and dismisses the matter until she can talk to Ayenna.

Also, I finally convinced my mom to let me read the book! I really don't know how I manged to persuade her, but I am not complaining! She gave it to me pretty late on Monday night, and I am almost done with it. Realizing how different the book is from the play, I would like to point out that my story is based solely on the play. There will be no mention of the existance of such characters as Liir, Sarima, or any of the others that do not appear in the play except for the ones I created.

I am sorry for the long pause between updates, but my computer doesn't like the document manager on here, and I have had to fight with it incessantly. Plus, I am very busy with school and everything else. Enjoy this chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Wicked, or any of the canon characters. They belong to Gregory MacGuire and Stephen Schwartz.

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"Um. Who's Elphaba?" Ayenna asked uncertainly.

"Oh, no one. You just reminded me of…of someone I once knew. A friend," Glinda said quickly, "Uh, sorry everyone, but this get-together is over. I have something to take care of. But please, keep recycling…uh…things that should be recycled!"

There was one last half-hearted cheer, but the people weren't really into it. They were much more interested in the green girl who was in their midst. The silence had ended and was replaced by whispers, mutters, and pointing fingers all directed at Ayenna. The only thing Ayenna wanted to do was get away, so she simply left and hurried up the street, looking for the inn on the paper. But she wasn't really even paying attention to where she was going. She couldn't get what had just happened out of her head. Why had Glinda, the most powerful person in Oz, looked at her and seen an old friend? Someone named Elphaba. She must have had green skin. But Ayenna had always thought that the only other person who shared her discoloration was the Wicked Witch. Surely if Glinda the Good had been friends with someone with green skin, that proved that the color of your face didn't matter.

Ayenna had become so immersed in her thoughts, she had completely stopped walking and was now standing still in the middle of the street. She jumped when a hand tapped her on the shoulder. She turned to see Glinda Upland of the Upper Uplands herself standing behind her.

"I'm terribly sorry, but I wondered if I could have a word?" she asked.

"Y-yes, Your Goodness," stammered Ayenna.

Glinda looked around furtively, grabbed Ayenna's hand, and pulled her into a deserted side alley.

"Listen, excuse me if I sound strange, but I must know who your parents are," Glinda said once she was sure no one was listening to them.

"Well, I don't know. My parents left me in an orphanage when I was just a baby. I know nothing about them. I'm sorry," Ayenna said.

"Oh," Glinda said, and bit her lip and looked off into the space as someone does when they are revisiting their memories.

"Sorry, but who is Elphaba?" Ayenna asked curiously.

"_Was_," Glinda said.

"What?"

"Who _was_ Elphaba. She's dead now. At least, I think she is."

"Why did you think I was her, Your Goodness?" Ayenna asked.

"Well, she had the same color skin," Glinda said smoothly, "And she looked a lot like you, besides. And no more of that 'Your Goodness' nonsense."

"Yes, Your Goodnes--Glinda," Ayenna said obediently.

Glinda did not appear to be listening. She was once more caught up in her thoughts. "But I saw her all the time. No, she was definitely never pregnant, not before she died. So how could she have a daughter? I doubt the Grimmerie has a spell that makes babies pop out of thin air. Either this girl is not her child, or Elphaba is still alive, or was alive for at least nine months after we all thought she was dead," Glinda muttered to herself.

"What is your name?" looking at Ayenna again.

"Ayenna," Ayenna said.

"Oh, well dear, I am sorry for taking up your time," Glinda said, "I hope I didn't annoy you."

"Oh, no, of course you didn't!" Ayenna said quickly, but Glinda didn't appear to hear her. But an enormous bubble came down, enveloped her, and floated her off to the palace where she lived. Ayenna shook her head and wondered silently, _What was that all about?_ She wondered why Glinda thought she was this Elphaba character. And who was Elphaba, and why did she make Glinda so sad? Glinda must really have liked her. But who cared? She had gotten to talk to Glinda, one on one! Glinda, the ruler of Oz! She would have to write to Trip and the others and tell them about it! But thinking of Trip was a bad idea; suddenly Ayenna felt all alone in a huge world. She forced her thoughts off of it and continued to look for the inn.

Finally, she found it. A large sign written in cursive green letters claimed that it was the Emerald Joy Inn. Ayenna wasn't exactly feeling joyful, but she _was_ feeling emerald. She walked in the door. The place was slightly small, but it seemed clean enough.

A receptionist sitting behind the desk stared at Ayenna's green face but did not comment on it. Instead she said, "Welcome to the Emerald Joy Inn. What can I do for you?"

"I need a room indefinitely," Ayenna told her firmly.

"Ok, I can bill you by the day. You are lucky you came here in the off season, young lady, otherwise we wouldn't have any rooms. I do have a couple open though. Will it just be you?"

"Yes, just me," Ayenna said quietly.

"You are in Room Twelve. Here is your key," the receptionist said.

Ayenna took the small green key and grabbed her bags.

"Should I call for a bellhop…?" the receptionist asked.

"No, I'll be fine," Ayenna told her and headed upstairs. After a few moments of searching, she located Room Twelve, fiddled with the key, and went inside. She groaned loudly. The room was completely and utterly green. The walls, carpet, curtains, and even the toilet were in that dreadful color. Ayenna, who for some reason had never been too fond of green, did not particularly like it. She was also slightly worried about the cost of the place. She hadn't thought to ask, and she didn't think her money was going to hold out for too long. However, she knew that there wasn't much sense in worrying over it, so she plopped down on her bed. She tried to quiet the thoughts and emotions swirling through her mind like so many fall leaves in a storm. Knowing that she would get no sleep at this rate, Ayenna reached into her bag and pulled out one of the books she had been given by one of the older orphans when she was very small. At the time, she hadn't been able to comprehend the fine art of reading, but she had gazed at the pages wistfully until she learned how, refusing to let anyone read it to her. Before she read it, she made up a story in her head to go along with the foreign symbols. It had been a story of acceptance, and the main character had had green skin. When she was finally able to read it, she found out that it was not at all like the story in her head, but it was still lovely. It was dog-eared and tattered from the many readings, but in her opinion, that just showed that it had been loved immensely.

Now, whenever she delved into the familiar pages that she could recite in full, she was able to calm herself down. After a few minutes of reading, she found herself relaxed and ready to sleep. She smiled slightly to herself; it always worked. She curled up in a tight little green ball and fell asleep.


	4. Working Girl

I am so sorry it took me so incredibly long to post this chapter, but my computer got very sick and it wouldn't let me type anything without having cows. Luckily, I took it to the doctor and I got it back yesterday. I'm proud to announce that it made a full recovery! Apparently, his keyboard needed to be reset, and that was the reason that every time I tried to type a "p," I got something like this, "QEROIWUqeruEoiaOUosiduRf." It was quite annoying.

I finished the book after two days, and I LOVED it. It was definitely the best book ever written. I purchased it last night and now I am reading it again.

-Daylights-and-Sunsets-: I am glad that you are enjoying the story, and I have the same general opinions about OC's. I really wanted to make one for this story, but please don't worry, I know that we haven't learned much about her yet, but that is on purpose. Her personality is going to come out a lot more in the next several chapters.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Wicked, or any of the canon characters. They belong to Gregory MacGuire and Stephen Schwartz.

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The next morning broke much too early in Ayenna's opinion as she yawned and groaned at the sunlight streaming through the green curtains.

She grinned a little, though, when she realized that she had the whole day to do whatever she wanted since Dhert had told her that his father wouldn't be back until the day after this one. She just hoped that his father _would_ give her a job. Dhert had seemed pretty sure that he would, but still….She decided to just enjoy herself and not worry about that.

She got dressed in her customary gray and started to head out the door, but right before she got into the hallway she went back into the room and grabbed a hat as an afterthought. It might be a good idea to try to cover up her face. She pulled the plain gray hat low and once again ventured into the hallway. Once she had gotten out of the building, she found herself amazed all over again at the sheer enormity of the city. Even though she didn't normally like being around people, she somehow found the crowds of the city comforting, and she reveled in getting lost in the hustle and bustle around her. She window shopped for a while, and then found a quiet café to lunch in.

Later in the evening, after she had had some supper, Ayenna looked up at the sky to see that it had darkened considerably, and it looked as though it was going to rain very soon. She sighed and quickened her pace; she didn't want to be caught outside in a rainstorm. Ever since she could remember, she had had a strange…allergy…to water. It was not life-threatening as long as the water was in small doses, but water on her skin could be very painful. She was only a block away from the inn, but it looked like the rain was going to beat her.

She quickened her pace even more until she was flat-out running. The inn loomed closer and closer, but the first few drops came down before she could get inside. Some of the water had managed to land on her arms. It made faint sizzling sounds as it burned her skin, and patches of it peeled away. She knew that later angry dark green blisters would form where she had been touched with the substance that was a veritable acid to her. She groaned and clenched her teeth against the burning pain. She knew that she would need to get an umbrella sometime soon, so that she wouldn't have to stop whatever she was doing just because it started to drizzle.

She sat in the lobby of the inn for a while, watching the weather. As soon as it stopped raining, she hurried out into the street, and careful not to step in puddles, made her way to a store she had seen earlier that morning that had carried umbrellas.

The door made a small tinkling sound as she pushed it open.

"Can I help you, dear?" asked the elderly woman behind the counter.

"No, thank you," Ayenna said, looking up at her.

The woman's mouth formed a small O when she saw her face, but she said nothing other than, "Ok, then."

Ayenna went to the back where she had seen the umbrellas. She looked for a gray one, but her search was in vain; all the umbrellas were emerald. She sighed and purchased one anyway. It would keep her safe from rain, despite the distasteful color.

That night, she had no trouble falling asleep.

Ayenna jolted awake early the following morning for no apparent reason. The first thing she realized was that today was the day she found out if she got the job at the newspaper or not. However, she could not go yet. After all, it wouldn't be very thoughtful to go banging on her possible new employer's door at six in the morning. She tried to go back to sleep, but she was too excited to accomplish more than just making herself fidgety. At nine O' clock, she simply couldn't wait any longer, and she headed for Dhert's house.

She found the residence again without too much trouble. She stood staring at the door for a moment, feeling very worried. After all, whatever Dhert's father told her would determine whether or not she would be able to make any money anytime soon. She found herself wishing she could go back to the orphanage. At least there she didn't have to worry about how she was going to afford her next meal or keep a roof over her head. Growing up wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

After a moment more, she steeled herself and knocked on the door. While she waited, she found herself rocking back and forth on her heels, a nervous habit. The door was finally opened by a kind looking man who appeared to be in his forties. Because of his resemblance to Dhert, Ayenna knew that this man must be the boy's father.

"Why, hello there," he said, not even blinking at her green skin, "You must be Ayenna. Dhert said you would be coming by."

_Oh, Dhert told him I'd be coming. I'm sure he warned about my…coloration. That is the only reason he didn't scream or panic_, Ayenna thought to herself sadly. Out loud, she said, "Yes, sir. I don't know what all Dhert told you about me, but I was wondering if I could possibly work for you at the newspaper."

"Yes, Dhert did tell me that you were wanting to work at the Gazette. He also told me of your situation. I can give you a job right away, and promote or demote you as needed. I can tell that you're a bright girl, though. I'm sure that I will never need to demote you."

"Oh, thank you, Sir!" Ayenna cried, elated, "When can I start?"

"Today if you like. And you can call me Strattel," said Strattel.

"Yes, Mr. Strattel. Where do I need to go to start working?"

"The office is just down the street. If you wait for a moment, Dhert and I will accompany you. It is time to get working on tomorrow's edition," Trasel told her.

He invited her inside and she made rather awkward conversation with Dhert while his father gathered up everything they needed for the day's work. Finally, they set out for the building that the Gazette was printed in. It was rather smaller than she had expected it to be, and it was made even smaller by the large printing press that occupied much of the room. But everything was very clean and organized, and Ayenna knew that she would be able to handle working here. Surprisingly, besides them, the building was deserted.

"Are there no other workers?" Ayenna asked, confused.

"Of course there are, but they do not come until 10:00 every morning. That is when the work day officially starts. It is only 9:45. They will arrive soon," Strattel told her, "Now, come, I will show you how we make newspapers."

He led her to the printing press and showed her the basics of making it work. He showed her the vats of ink and the huge stacks of paper.

"But you will not really have to worry about this stuff so much," he told her, "I have another job in mind for you."

"What?" she asked curiously.

"I want you to be one of the writers."

"Really?" she asked, thrilled. She had not been looking forward to printing newspapers all day and getting ink all over herself, but writing, that was a job she could enjoy.

"Yes. You will get opportunities to travel all over Oz, writing down the news. But today, you will just follow me around so I can teach you the basics of reporting."

By the time the day was over, Ayenna was exhausted, but she went home with money in her pocket and feeling quite proud of herself. She had explained her money situation to Strattel, and he had agreed to pay her for each day's work instead of the whole week's worth at the end of the week for a while; just until she could support herself better. On the whole, the day had been successful. While several of the other workers had stared at her, Ayenna assumed that Strattel must have had a talk with them beforehand because they had made no comment about her skin when they thought she was within earshot.


	5. Mysterious Letters

Ok, guys, I am rather upset that the last chapter didn't get _any _reviews. What's up with that? I will be motivated to post more often if I get a little more feedback. I have up to Chapter Twelve written now, so the more reviews, the quicker the post. For those of you worried about Ayenna being a Mary-Sue, never fear! I wrote her that way on purpose, but after the next few chapters, she is going to change, majorly. Also, although this story started out being more musical-verse, it has changed as I have written it, and has become a healthy mix of book and musical. The characters, however, will continue being musical-verse. 

**Disclaimer: **Stephen Schwartz and Gregory Maguire own Wicked, not me. (The lucky devils.)

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After the rewarding, if exhausting day at the paper, Ayenna headed back to the inn. She walked into the lobby where the receptionist was looking at a paper on her desk with confusion in her eyes.

"I think this is for you," she said a little shakily and handed Ayenna the paper.

Curious, Ayenna inspected the parchment. It was a letter. Her name was written in neat, flowing cursive in black ink on the front. She thanked the receptionist and headed to her room. As soon as she shut the door, she opened her letter like a child ripping into his presents on Christmas. She was not accustomed to getting mail, and the novelty excited her. She pulled the letter from the envelope, feeling the rough texture of the parchment. She read it through quickly, her breath catching in her throat more with every word.

Ayenna,

My darling Ayenna, not a day has gone by when I haven't thought of you. Sixteen years of regret and remorse can be very taxing on a body. But I knew that I had made the right decision, despite the pain, and that kept me from going insane. Darling, if this letter fell into the wrong hands, I would hate to see what would happen, so I have put a spell on the letter so that no one but you can read it. To everyone else, it will just be a blank piece of paper. I suppose that I should tell you who I am. I am your mother. I have been in hiding since before you were born, and when I got pregnant with you, I knew that I had to give you a chance to live life. I did not want to raise you in some hidey-hole somewhere. You needed a chance to find yourself and be free. If you resent me for not contacting you sooner, I will not blame you. But I did not want to put you or your father and I in any danger. But I also knew that I had to let you know that I had not just died or forgotten you. Please understand, my love, that I have always watched you, and I love you more than you can imagine.

Your Mother

After reading the note, Ayenna felt as if she had physically lost her breath. She sank to the bed, clutching the letter to her chest and the beginnings of tears forming in her eyes. But she could not let them fall. She never let her tears fall. After all, it just made her face sting for hours.

A few moments and several rereadings later, Ayenna was able to completely grasp the gist of the note. If what it said was true, she had a mother, and most likely her mother was a witch if she were able to put such a spell upon the letter. The letter also mentioned a father. Could it be true? Could her parents really both be living, just in hiding? It seemed rather far-fetched, but what would anyone hope to accomplish by making her believe she had living parents after all?

She rushed from her room, ran down the stairs at a breakneck speed and skidded into the lobby. Clutching a stitch in her side, she asked the receptionist, "Where did you get this letter?"

"Well…it…don't laugh, but I think it just appeared on the desk. One moment it wasn't there, and then, right before you came in a few minutes ago, there was a small 'pop' and there it was…like magic," the bemused receptionist answered.

Ayenna rushed back to her room without another word. For the millionth time in her life, her thoughts strayed to her mother and father; only this time, the hope that they existed was more than a dream.

Her thoughts were interrupted knock at the door. Ayenna looked up, startled, and went to open it. Out in the hallway stood a bundle of brown robes in a fairly humanoid shape, but it was rather puffy at the bottom. Ayenna wasn't sure if it was even alive until it moved. Someone had apparently gone out of their way to disguise themselves.

"Who are you?" asked Ayenna, not unkindly.

"Shhhh!" the figure hissed, "We can't talk out here!" and it pushed past her into her room.

Ayenna followed, thoroughly confused.

The figure seated itself and removed the layered hood. A glamorous face and golden curls appeared. Glinda, for that was who it was, grunted as she fought to get the rest of the cloaks off, finally revealing a pale blue puffy gown. That accounted for the bulging of the cloak at the bottom.

"Uh, not to be rude or anything, Miss Glinda, but, uh, why are you here?" Ayenna asked.

"Listen, I have been thinking about that day when I asked you about your heritage. I am fairly certain that my first assumption was right. I believe that you may be Elphaba's daughter indeed.

Ayenna opened her mouth to say something, but Glinda cut her off.

"But I am going too fast; let me explain myself," the Good Witch said breathlessly, "Elphaba and I went to school together and, although we had a bit of a rocky start, we ended up becoming the best of friends. Sadly, she died shortly thereafter…or, so I thought. But, just a few moments ago, I received a letter. I recognized the handwriting on it as Elphaba's instantly and opened it quickly. It said—oh, well, just read it," Glinda said, handing her an envelope that was identical to the one she had gotten except that the name on the outside was 'Glinda' instead of 'Ayenna.'

Ayenna pulled out the paper and read it quickly.

Glinda,

Oh Glinda! I have longed to tell you that I am alive for years, but I had to hide the secret in my heart for fear of discovery. But I cannot wait anymore. I cannot let the girl who used to be my best friend go on believing in my demise. Of course, I am sure that you have new friends now, and you probably don't even remember me, but I certainly remember you. Just know that Fiyero and I are alive and well. But please, Glinda, do not come looking for us.

Elphie

Glinda got teary-eyed as Ayenna read it out loud.

"Oh, Elphie is alive!" she said, "I just can't get over it. Now, as to why I am here: I think we should go find her together!"

Ayenna was shocked, but Glinda ignored her feeble attempts at words and plunged on, "Now, it is obvious where she is. After all, look at the paper. It has the coarse, brown texture of paper made in the Glikkus. It is impossible to get paper like this anywhere else."

"But how do you know that they didn't just travel through the Glikkus? They could be anywhere, and this paper could just be something they picked up while going somewhere else," Ayenna interjected, finding her voice.

"Well, I had thought of that, actually," said Glinda, "But look at the back of the letter—just there. Do you see that?"

Ayenna scrutinized the paper and found what the Good Witch was talking about. There, inscribed on the left-hand bottom corner was a miniscule emerald.

"The Glikkus is famous for its emerald mines," Glinda told Ayenna, "As it is obvious that Elphie doesn't want to be found, I guess that Fiyero had to have drawn that. He was always a bit of a rebel. It's simple, he wants to see us. Well, probably you more than me." At this last line, Glinda seemed to wilt a little.

"But, hang on, how do you even know that this Elphaba is my mother? I just received a letter too, from a woman claiming to be my mother. But she did not sign her name."

"Perhaps you should read it to me, dear," Glinda said.

Ayenna did as she was told, and when she had finished Glinda jumped up and down.

"You see! I told you! Look, the papers are exactly alike! And look, yours even has an emerald on it too! I was right! You are Elphaba's daughter!


	6. Revelation

Thanks so much for the reviews guys! You definitely made my day. Just keep up the good work! ;D I hope you like the chapter! 

**Disclaimer: **Wicked belongs to Stephen Schwartz and Gregory Maguire...not me. But I can still dream, right?

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"Maybe you should tell me Elphaba's whole story," Ayenna suggested, still not entirely convinced.

"Yes, yes, of course," Glinda said, a little impatiently, "Ok, Elphaba was born in Munchkinland to Frexspar and Melon. No, Meleny? No. Mel, Mel, Melena! That's it. Yes, Frexspar and Melena Thropp. There was one problem with her though. She was green. About the time her little sister, Nessarose, was born, her family moved to Quadling Country. Unfortunately, her sister had a problem too. She had no arms, and she depended on others to do just about everything. Melena died in childbirth with Elphaba's little brother. What was his name? I think it started with an 'S.' It was vaguely turtle-like…"

"Shell?" Ayenna suggested, caught up in the story.

"Yes! That was it. Shell. Anywho, when she was of age, Elphaba went to Shiz University. That was when we met. We ended up being roommates. To begin with, we…well, we hated each other. But, given some time, our friendship grew and we became inseparable. The Wizard heard of her prowess in sorcery and he summoned for her. We both went. But, there was an issue with some monkeys, Elphaba was always very pro-Animal, and she managed to get the Wizard's guards after us. She went on the run and started liberating Animals, but she wasn't too busy to steal the man that I was engaged to be married to. Fiyero Tiggular, the Winkie Prince. We had a bit of a tiff over that and some shoes that had belonged to Nessa. You see, Nessa was killed in a freak storm, and Elphaba wanted her shoes, but at the time, I did not know she cared so much about them, and I gave them away. Soon after, Elphaba was killed by a young girl, Dorothy. But I guess she wasn't really killed after all. I suppose we can ask how she swung that when we see her."

"Wait, she was killed by…Dorothy? Are you saying that my mother, Elphaba, was…was the Wicked Witch of the West!" Ayenna asked, almost hysterical.

"Well, she wasn't 'Wicked.' Just misunderstood. But yes, that is what people called her," Glinda said.

"Oh, may the Unnamed God be with me! It turns out I have parents, but they are the Wicked Witch of the West and a prince of the godforsaken Vinkus? Do you have any other revelations for me? Was the Wicked Witch of the East my sister?" Ayenna asked, completely hysterical by now. An unfamiliar fury was growing in her stomach and she was aware that the lights in the room were beginning to flicker uncontrollably.

"Your aunt, actually," Glinda said, eyeing the flickering lights, "Do you believe in the Unnamed God?"

"My aunt! Oh, I suppose she was Nessarose!"

"Yes, but you haven't answered my question. Do you believe in the Unnamed God?"

"What? Oh, no. I just needed a higher being to call on. I am not religious," Ayenna said, smoldering at the obvious change in subject.

"You are an atheist, then?"

"Yes, I suppose I am."

"You really are just like your mother," Glinda said with a small smile.

"What, I'm wicked?" Ayenna asked angrily.

"No. I've already told you, she wasn't wicked. The Wizard was the one who said she was wicked. He was the only true wicked person in this story."

"Oh, now the Wizard is wicked? What are you going to tell me next, that monkeys fly?"

"Well…" Glinda started.

"No. Just don't," Ayenna said.

"I know you are upset," Glinda said, keeping up her maddening air of calm, "But please believe me, your mother was one of the least selfish, best people I ever knew. She taught me a lot; you should feel proud to be her daughter. Do not believe public opinion. They called your mother wicked because they did not understand her. They feared her differences, and fear leads to hate. Here, I think you should have these. They were your mother's."

Ayenna took the proffered items from Glinda's hands. One was a black, pointed hat. The other was a small green bottle that said "Miracle Elix" on the front. She took a deep breath and calmed herself slowly, "You're right. I flew off the handle. I'm sorry." She couldn't believe how close she had come to losing complete control of herself and her powers.

"That is quite all right, dear. Now come, we are going to the Glikkus to find her and Fiyero!"

"We're going to the Glikkus…together?" Ayenna asked, surprised at the eagerness of the public figure to leave her cushy palace to go trekking across the wilderness.

"Yes, of course," Glinda said impatiently, "But, come, dear, you must pack! There's not a moment to lose. I already have all my bags waiting in a coach in the street."

_Oh. I suppose she isn't ready to leave all of her cushiness behind_, thought Ayenna to herself. Aloud she said, "Glinda, don't you think it would be better if we went on foot for most of the way? After all, we don't want to attract attention, and a royal carriage is sure to do just that. Besides, I doubt that any carriage will be able to traverse the desolate terrain of the Glikkus."

Glinda looked slightly miffed, and Ayenna knew she was worried about what she would do with her bags if they walked.

"Well, yes, I suppose you're right, but the important thing is that we leave right now!" Glinda exclaimed.

Ayenna had wished for parents all her life, but now that she was being offered a chance to go find them, she was frightened, especially now that she knew who they were.

Ayenna found herself wildly making excuses, "But, I can't leave now! I…I have a job! Yes, I have to tell my boss where I am going! The earliest possible I could leave would be tomorrow after work."

After a few moments of arguing, Glinda gave in.

"Ok, but you can't tell your boss where or why you are going, and we will leave as soon as you tell him."

Ayenna agreed to that and tried to bid Glinda goodbye.

"Don't be ridiculous! I've already informed my dignitaries that I am taking an indefinite leave of absence. They would grow more suspicious then they already are if I showed back up and then left again in the morning," Glinda said.

"So you are staying here?" Ayenna asked, hoping for a negative answer.

"Yes."

Ayenna sighed inwardly. The blonde was starting to get on her nerves, "Who will run Oz while you are gone?"

"Oh, I don't actually _run_ the country. I have people that do that. I am just the figurehead, really. I promote the laws they pass and keep people from panicking," Glinda told her, as if this should be obvious.

Ayenna, who had always thought that Glinda was the sole ruler of Oz, was shocked, but not as shocked as she would have been before she talked to the blonde.

"Let's go to sleep. We will have a big day ahead of us," Glinda said. She went to the bathroom, put on some pink pajamas, and laid down on one side of Ayenna's bed. Ayenna got onto the other side, but she slid as far to the edge as she could go without falling off. It felt odd to share a bed with anyone, much less Oz's most glamorous figurehead.

In a few moments, Ayenna could tell that the Good Witch had fallen asleep, from her deep, regular breathing. However, Ayenna couldn't seem to close her eyes. She kept thinking about all that she had found out today. She had parents. And it appeared that they loved her, but one of them was a prince and the other was a witch. She was going all the way to the Glikkus to find them. After a while, her jubilation, anger, questions, confusion, and any mix of feelings succumbed to sleep and she plunged into the only world she knew she could fit in: her dreams.


	7. Traveling Companion

"Wake up, dear! Come on, we have lots to do!" Glinda cried as she tapped Ayenna, rather harder than necessary, on the shoulder.

Ayenna rubbed her eyes and looked at Glinda. It took her a few moments to work out why she was there.

"We haven't got all day! By Lurline, you are heavy sleeper!" exclaimed Glinda.

Ayenna held back a retort and went to get ready. She put on her simple gray dress that would be comfortable for traveling and as she brushed her hair, she thought about Glinda. Something about the woman got under her skin and made her want to slap the bubbly blonde, but at the same time, she kind of liked her.

_Well, I guess if she was my mom's best friend, I should learn to like her_, she thought.

When she was all ready, Glinda practically pushed her out the door.

"Go tell your boss that you are leaving, then come right back here."

"I will, I will," Ayenna grumbled. She checked the lobby's clock. It was 9:00. She had plenty of time to get to work before the day started. She decided to go to Strattel's house to tell him of her departure, since he probably wouldn't be at the office yet.

He opened the door after she rang the bell twice and invited her in immediately.

"What can I do for you, Miss Ayenna?" he asked.

"I…uh…have something to tell you," she started, a little uncertainly.

"Isn't that funny, I have something to tell you too! I'll tell you mine first. I have decided to give you your first assignment!" Strattel said enthusiastically.

"But, Mr. Strattel, I--"

"No, I know what you are going to say. You don't think you have enough experience. Don't worry! You'll do fine."

"But, where are we--"

"Going? I'm going to send you up to the Glikkus. Won't that be exciting? There has been some riots among the natives, and someone needs to go find out the story and report on it. That someone, my dear, is you!"

"The Glikkus?" Ayenna asked, amazed at her good fortune.

"Yes. I am sure that you are worried about your safety, but never fear! Dhert will keep you well protected. He's a good lad."

"Dhert's coming?" Ayenna asked.

"Yes. He will be your personal bodyguard and he can help you with your reporting as well," Strattel told her.

"How long do you expect we'll be gone?"

"I don't know. Maybe some weeks, give or take a year. The important thing is that you get the story. Now, you'd best be off. We can't waste time chatting when there is something that needs to be reported to the world!"

"We're leaving right now?" Ayenna asked, her head spinning.

"Of course! I'll call Dhert," Strattel said.

"No need, Father. I'm here," Dhert said, walking into the room. He had on a pair of brown pants, black boots, and a ruffled white shirt. He was buckling a sword in its sheath to his belt. All in all, he looked positively suave. Especially with his hair gently tousled like that. He smiled at her, and she felt a mysterious tingling sensation in her stomach. It was nothing she had ever felt before. Perhaps something she ate…?

"Oh Dhert, you're ready. Good. Now, be good and take care of Ayenna, will you?" Strattel asked.

"You know I will, Father. Goodbye!"

Strattel embraced his son and clapped him on the back.

"Good luck!" he said.

Dhert grabbed some suitcases and led Ayenna into the street.

"Do you need to get your things?" he asked.

"Yes. They are at the inn that you told me about. They are already packed up, though, so I shouldn't be but a moment. But, uh, Dhert?"

"Yes?" he asked.

"We are going to have someone else traveling with us," she said.

"Who?"

"Oh, someone you will recognize."

He looked a little confused but didn't question her further.

Glinda met them in the lobby, Ayenna's two small bags and a large host of what must have been her bags around her feet. If Ayenna hadn't ever spoken to Glinda personally, she wouldn't have recognized her. The witch was wearing the first outfit that wasn't puffy or glittery since Ayenna had met her. It was a plain dress, still pink, but sensibly so. She was wearing the brown cloak from the night before and she had the hood over her head, hiding the most of her curly, golden hair. She had also wisely dispensed of her wand for the time being. Ayenna supposed it was in one of her many suitcases.

"Who is this, Ayenna?" she asked when she saw Dhert.

"Is this our traveling companion that you spoke of?" Dhert asked.

"Yes, Dhert. Glinda, this is Dhert. Dhert, Glinda," Ayenna said, waiting for the explosion.

She didn't have to wait long. "Glinda? Did you say Glinda, Ayenna? As in _the_ Glinda?"

"Yes," Ayenna said in a small voice, noticing that the receptionist was becoming altogether too interested in the situation, "Let's go. I will explain everything on the way."

Dhert and Glinda followed, the first still staring at Glinda, and Glinda looking slightly put out that Ayenna hadn't told her that she would be bringing a boy along.

A carriage waited outside, albeit one that did not have the royal crest on it. Apparently, Glinda had taken Ayenna's words to heart.

"A carriage? Excellent! I was afraid we would have to walk the whole way," Dhert said.

"Yes, Glinda provided it. We can only ride it for a ways, though, because after we get into less populated places it will be difficult to drive. I guess we can get horses or something then."

Dhert, being a perfect gentleman as usual, helped Glinda load her bags into the carriage and then put his own on. Ayenna needed no assistance with her meager belongings, however.

They climbed into the carriage, Dhert taking the seat beside Ayenna, and Glinda taking the seat across from them. Once everything was properly loaded on, Glinda told the driver to drive.

"He already knows where we are going. He has made the trip many times before. He will be taking us to the end of the Yellow Brick Road, where I have made arrangements for us to then ride on the Great Gillikin Railway to the Glikkus. Then we will buy horses to get us the rest of the way," Glinda explained.

"Ayenna, would you like to explain everything to me now? Why are we traveling with Glinda the Good? Why do you act like you were already planning on going to the Glikkus? What is your purpose in going there?" Dhert asked, confused.

Glinda shot Ayenna a warning look.

"Glinda…we can trust him. I trust him," Ayenna said.

"And I appreciate that," Dhert said, "But I would also appreciate some answers."


	8. Carriage Ride

A shoutout of thanks to my reviewers who continue to keep me in good spirits:

Kittycutie: Well, I guess you'll just have to wait and see!

ElphabaFanatic: Don't worry, the luck isn't completely Sue-ish. The amazingly good fortune will be addressed later.

Maureen Olivia Lockhart: I love getting your reviews and you have been reviewing this story since the very beginning. This is very encouraging! (the same to you, ElphabaFanatic!)

Well, here's Chapter Eight! I luff you guys!

**Disclaimer: **Nope, I still don't own Wicked. Do you think I could bribe (coughcough blackmail) Maguire and Schwartz to give it to me...?

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"Ok. We are traveling with Glinda because…maybe it would be better if she explains it."

"I'd be glad to," Glinda said, "Ayenna and I _were _already planning to go to the Glikkus. You see, we are looking for someone there."

"Who?" he asked curiously.

"My parents," Ayenna interjected.

"Yes, her parents, my best friend and her husband," Glinda said, "I haven't seen either of them in seventeen years. I believed them to be dead, as did all of Oz. But we have reason to believe that they are hiding in the Glikkus."

"Who are they?" Dhert asked.

"Her name is Elphaba and his is Fiyero," Glinda said, skirting the question.

"So, we are going to try to find them?" asked Dhert.

"Yes," Glinda and Ayenna said at the same time.

"Why are they in hiding?"

Glinda and Ayenna exchanged a nervous look. Even Ayenna wasn't sure they should trust him _that_ much.

Dhert picked up on their anxious silence, "It's ok. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Both girls looked relieved.

They all looked out the window as they went through the Emerald City's Northern Gates.

"Look! We're in the Gillikin! I'm Gillikinese, you know," Glinda said giddily.

"Yes, I know," Ayenna said, not adding that her curly blonde hair made it obvious.

"Now, Ayenna, would you care to answer some of my questions? Who is this young man, and why is he here? A lover, perhaps?" Glinda asked blithely.

Ayenna blushed, "No, he is a coworker. My boss's son, to be exact. In a lovely turn of fate, my boss asked me to go the Glikkus with Dhert here to report on some riots between the natives."

"Ah, that is a nice coincidence," Glinda said.

"Ayenna, I understand that we will be searching for your mother, but will we still be doing our jobs for the paper?" Dhert asked.

"Yes, we have to keep our jobs," Ayenna answered without hesitation. She knew that if this all turned out to be some wild goose chase, it would be a good idea to have a job to come back to.

They settled in for a long ride, and not another word was exchanged for several hours. Ayenna was dying to ask Glinda more about her mother, but she knew she couldn't in front of Dhert. So, she kept her silence and contented herself with staring out the window. They were riding on the Yellow Brick Road. By the time evening came, Ayenna was hungry, tired, and sick of the bumpy carriage and the incessant noise of the horse's hooves that were pulling them. The driver had maintained a stony silence and a scowl the whole ride, and Ayenna knew that he didn't want to be there.

_That makes two of us_, Ayenna thought. She longed to stretch her legs and get something to eat. However, this section of the Yellow Brick Road was quite deserted. All that was on either side of the carriage was dirt.

Ayenna heard her stomach rumble, and so, apparently, did Glinda. The Good Witch pulled out some crackers and proffered them to Ayenna. She gladly took them and ate them quickly, quieting her stomach. Dhert also accepted some crackers and made short work of his also.

Glinda next produced two water bottles from one of her voluminous bags. Ayenna, although she was very thirsty, shied away from the water. She wasn't thirsty enough to poison herself, after all.

Glinda saw Ayenna's reaction, and she slapped herself on her forehead.

"I'm sorry, Ayenna, I didn't think about the fact that you might have the same allergy as your mother. Here, I have juice, too," these were the first words to be spoken in hours.

Ayenna took the juice gratefully and sipped it.

"What allergy?" asked Dhert, sitting up.

"I'm allergic to water," Ayenna said, answering his inquiring gaze.

"Water? How can you be allergic to water?"

"It's just the way I am. It makes my skin blister and could probably kill me if I got wet enough."

"I hope you don't mind my asking this, but how do you bathe?"

"That's fine, it's natural to be curious. I rub oil into my skin as a substitute for water," she said.

"Oh."

They lapsed into silence again, and one by one fell into light slumbers. The night wasn't a pleasant one. Glinda had told the driver that they weren't to stop for the evening, and the tiniest pothole in the road would jolt them all awake. The seats, while comfortable for a while, were not comfy to sleep on. None of them really ever fell asleep, and the morning dawned with them feeling more exhausted then before they went to sleep.

"We've almost reached the end of the Yellow Brick Road, Miss Glinda," the driver grunted, the first words he had said.

"Thank you, Tobadias," Glinda said, then she clapped her hands together and smiled, "We shall soon be at Shiz! Elphaba, Fiyero, and I went to school there many years ago. Oh, how I miss them. And Nessa, sweet Nessa. And poor little Biq, too. It's a good thing we haven't tried to have a reunion. Hardly anyone would be alive or in the condition to come to it…" Glinda was obviously remembering those days because she was staring out the window with a glazed look in her eye, completely oblivious to where she was.

About forty-five minutes later, the carriage came to a halt, and they thanked Tobadias, grabbed their bags, and got out of the carriage. It was an enormous relief to be able to stretch their sore legs after the long ride. Without another glance at them, Tobadias whipped the horses and rode off back toward the Emerald City.

Dhert and Ayenna turned to see Glinda staring at the enormous building in front of them. An arch with gold lettering told them that it was Shiz University.

"I should very much like to go back and see my old home," Glinda said quietly, but she seemed to get a grip on herself and shook her head, "But we need to get to the Glikkus. I don't have time to waste on dusty old memories. Let's go, children."

They walked over to the deserted train station and sat down on the benches. Glinda glanced at the clock.

"It is only two o' clock. The train won't be getting here for half an hour. She gazed back at the imposing school, "Maybe we do have time…"

Ayenna knew that Glinda wanted to go tour the school, but she didn't want to risk missing the train, and she told her so.

"You're right, you're right, dear. It's just, we all had such fun there. It was the last time I saw many of them."

Ayenna was glad that she had talked Glinda into staying there when the train came in ten minutes early. She knew that had they been at the school, they would have missed it. However, she wasn't sure she didn't want to miss it. Never having seen a train before, it frightened her. It made a horrible racket and belched black smoke into the sky. It reminded her of a scaly black monster, and she was afraid that stepping into it would be willingly walking into its mouth. But she was no coward, and she climbed on when it stopped with only a moment's hesitation.


	9. The Glikkus

Chapter Nine has arrived! I would give more of an introduction, but I'm being forced off the computer. )

**Disclaimer: **Nope, still don't own Wicked.

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The three travelers found that although the train was more comfortable then the carriage, it still wasn't that great. Now, however, there were lots of other people to look at, and Ayenna was getting lots of stares.

"Does it bother you?" Dhert asked her in a whisper.

"Does what bother me?" Ayenna asked back, looking up from her book.

"People staring at you."

"Yes, but after a while, you grow accustomed to it," she said, wanting to laugh at the indignant expression on his face.

"Do you want me to tell them to stop?" he asked, referring to a group of Gillikinese teenagers, mainly girls, who were having a grand time pointing and giggling at the funny green girl.

"No, they are just silly children."

"They're our age!"

"I judge age by maturity."

Dhert admired her equanimity, but he breathed a sigh of relief when the teenagers got off. Another few minutes, and he would have lost his temper and hit them. He couldn't quite figure that out. He was usually calm, but something about them talking about Ayenna made his flesh boil.

But she didn't seem fazed. On the contrary, she just went back to her book.

But he didn't want her to retreat back into herself, he wanted to learn more about her. Something about her intrigued him. Being a handsome boy, he had had girlfriends, but they were all impractical, giggly things that only worried about clothes and makeup. Ayenna on the other hand, was different.

"When we first met, you told me that you did not know anything about your parents," he said.

She looked up, and for a moment he was afraid that she was mad, but she had a small smile on her face. "I _didn't_ know anything about them until last night."

"Will you tell me what you know about them?"

"I think I would prefer reading."

He felt a little snubbed, but he got her message. She didn't want to talk about her parents. His curiosity was aroused, but he let her read her book in peace.

Glinda, meanwhile, was sitting in the aisle in front of them. She was pretending to be reading a magazine, but she was actually listening to their conversation. If she wasn't mistaken, that boy had feelings for Ayenna. He probably didn't even know it yet, but they were there, like the first bit of green that a seed pushes out of the ground. She wasn't sure what Ayenna felt for the boy; she seemed to have no emotions when she didn't want them to show. Oh, young love. She sighed quietly. She had not had any romantic relations with men since Elphaba disappeared.

She couldn't wait to see her friend again. But she didn't know whether she would embrace, cry over, or slap Elphaba when she did see her. She couldn't believe that Elphie had let her believe she was dead for seventeen years. And that girl, Ayenna, there was no doubt Elphaba was her mother. The girl was too much like her, only lacking much of her mother's sarcasm. Maybe that was from being raised in an orphanage. They taught manners there, something Elphaba obviously missed out on. She grinned to herself. And she was looking forward to seeing Fiyero too, she just hoped it wouldn't be too awkward between them. She glanced behind her and smiled when she saw that Ayenna had fallen asleep with her head on Dhert's shoulder. The boy looked fairly pleased with this development.

Several hours and many stops later, the conductor called, "End of the line, folks! The Glikkus! This is the last stop, the Glikkus!"

Glinda stood up, grabbed the few bags that she decided she absolutely needed and hadn't left on the carriage, and nodded to Dhert. The boy gently stroked Ayenna's cheek and called her name quietly until she woke up. When she realized the position she had fallen asleep in, her cheeks blushed deep green, and she leapt to her feet and grabbed her bags. She looked at the ground so she didn't have to meet his smiling eyes.

They got off the train, and Ayenna realized that she was in the Glikkus. Just a few weeks ago, she had never been out of her tiny village, and she had certainly never been out of Gillikin. The largeness of everything made her feel like an insignificant ant in a big, big world. As the train left, she looked around at the landscape. The ground beneath her feet was dry, dusty, sand-colored dirt, and in the distance she could just make out innumerable mammoth mountains. To her right, she could see far-off water, undoubtedly the Glikkus Canals.

Glinda, who had obviously gotten someone to help her plan this excursion, had them walk a few miles in the direction of the canals until they came to a very tiny village. Ayenna knew that the Glikkus was not heavily populated, but after the Emerald City, this place seemed downright pitiful, even though it was about the same size of the village Ayenna grew up in. Glinda led them over to a small barn. They walked inside and were hit by the odor of horses. Not necessarily an unpleasant smell, Ayenna had thought. It put her in mind of grass and freedom. But when she saw the horses and how tightly they were tied, her stomach churned.

"Are you sure those aren't Animals?" she asked Glinda.

"Don't be silly, I outlawed that when I first became ruler. I may not make all the laws, but I do have influence."

A filthy man with matted dark hair and a beard walked into the barn. It was obvious that he owned, and probably slept in it.

"What d'you want?" he asked gruffly.

"Four horses, please," Glinda said primly, trying not to wrinkle her nose at his smell.

"But there are only…one, two…uh…three of you," he said, scratching his head and using his dirt encrusted fingers to count.

"Yes, but we need a horse to carry our bags," Glinda said, attempting to retain her politeness.

He sniffed, "D'you got money?"

"Of course."

"Are those Animals or animals?" Ayenna interjected.

"You insane, girl?" he asked, "I have little enough as it is, without going against Glinda's rules."

Glinda shot Ayenna a knowing smile.

"Can't stand the tramp, meself, but I'm not stupid enough to disobey decrees," he continued.

Glinda flushed and Ayenna was afraid she was going to strike him, but the Good Witch looked at his grubby face and decided against dirtying her hand.

"Girl," he said, looking at Ayenna, "Either I've been drinkin' too much--"

"Which could well be the case," interrupted Glinda.

"--or you're bloody green," the man continued as if he hadn't heard her.

"Here is your money," Glinda said, handing him a small bag full of currency, taking special care that her hand didn't accidentally brush his.

He looked into the bag, and looked back up, a grin revealing his rotting teeth. Without further complaint, he grabbed four horses and handed the halters of all four to Glinda. She in turn gave Ayenna and Dhert one each.

Ayenna looked into the eyes of her horse. It had dead eyes, and she knew that it was not an Animal; it had no soul. All four were a sorry lot. They were emaciated and their bones showed through their disheveled, dirty pelts. Their manes and tails were matted and coarse, and they had many sores from hard riding. But the most disturbing thing about the creatures was that you could look at them and tell that they had lost the will to live long ago. They were broken animals, and they probably wouldn't have even flinched or tried to defend themselves if you took a stick to them.

Ayenna, feeling like she was going to cry, petted her horse on the nose gently. It looked at her through dim eyes, as though surprised at such a show of kindness.

"You monster!" she yelled at the man, "Look what you have done to the poor animals!"

Dhert, who had been watching her face, had had a feeling she was going to something drastic, and he wasted no time grabbing her arm right as she tried to rush at the man. She immediately turned on him, slapping, scratching, and biting. She looked ready to do anything to get away from him so she could do something ungodly to the dirty man who was looking very surprised. However, Dhert's vice grip did not waver. In fact, he just got a hold of her other arm, making it impossible for her to hit him anymore. But the fire had not left her eyes, and he knew that any moment she would think of another way to gain her freedom from him. Without thinking, he pulled her close and buried her in a hug. She went completely limp in his arms, and he knew that there was no danger of her hurting anyone again for the moment.

She pulled away from him, confused and fuming, but she only looked at the ground. He felt his heart fall and settle somewhere down around his feet. He didn't want her to look at him like that.

"You're lucky that vegetable girl didn' hurt me. I woulda sued you for all you're worth," the man said, and he walked back around the barn, presumably to count his money and get some more alcohol.

"Ayenna…" Dhert started.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me," but her words were hollow.

"Look, I'm not saying that he wasn't a foul man who didn't deserve to be beaten to a pulp, but I couldn't have him hurt you. Please, don't look at me like that!"

"Fine," Ayenna said, and she opted to not look at him at all.

He sighed, glared at Glinda for no reason whatsoever, and they led their horses from the barn.


	10. A Bit of Investigating

Chapter Ten has arrived! Party time! hands out cheap party favors Well, I hope you guys are all still enjoying this story, and thanks again for reading!

The-Good-Die-Alone: I'm glad you liked the chapter, and I completely agree with you on the wrongness of mistreatment of animals. Seeing poorly cared-for animals makes me want to hurt something. Preferably something that can apologize for its meaness. ;D

elphabathedelirious32: My imagery thanks you for your kindness. )

The Phantom's Muse: I'm so glad that you found my story and are enjoying it so far! Well, here's the update you asked for! )

**Disclaimer: **Well, let's recap shall we? I haven't owned Wicked for the last 9 chapters, but something could have changed, right? Lemme check. pause Oh. Nope, I still don't own it.

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Ayenna was still refusing to speak to Dhert, or Glinda either, for that matter. She just kept her eyes on the ground, which was just as well, because the sun was so bright that it was the only place one could look without their eyes streaming. The heat of the Glikkus matched the dazzling sunlight. Ayenna's horse was sweating like, well, a horse. At first, she had refused to ride it, reluctant to cause the creature more pain than absolutely necessary, but after a few hours, her tired legs, the heat, and Glinda's constant comments about her being ridiculous convinced her to ride it.

Suddenly, an awful thought popped into her head, and Ayenna spoke for the first time in hours.

"Glinda, how are we going to find my parents?"

"Well, I think we should just keep heading toward the mountains. We'll find them eventually," Glinda said evasively.

"You mean, you have no idea where they are!"

"Well, they are in hiding. And no, they didn't exactly give me directions."

"So, this is a fool's errand! They don't want to be found, Glinda. Don't you get that?"

"Ayenna, don't worry. I know your mother. We'll find her," Glinda said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. In truth, she hadn't even thought about how they would find them in this expansive wasteland.

Ayenna rolled her eyes. The day's events and the never-ending travel had put her in an increasingly bad mood. She was also annoyed with herself. She could not work out what she felt for Dhert, and she had never been in doubt of her feelings of a person before. She got a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach whenever he looked at her, and she wanted to know what it meant. She had a feeling that she knew, but that just made her angrier. She couldn't like the boy. She could never like anyone. She had decided that years ago. After all, she was bound to be rejected; why put herself through that torture? But, despite what her logical side was saying, her emotional side refused to listen.

She squinted and looked up. They had been riding for what seemed like ages, but the mountains, which she had learned were called The Scalps, didn't seem to have gotten any closer. She sighed and gasped as an enormous bead of her horse's sweat rolled onto her leg. She had been extremely careful not to let herself brush against his soaking coat, but it seemed impossible. She gritted her teeth as the single drop burned through several layers of emerald skin.

Dhert, who was riding in the back of the group, in front of only the horse that they had fixed the luggage to, had not taken his eyes off Ayenna's back the entire journey. He winced with her when he saw what the sweat had done to her. She was definitely different. The temper that he had seen her display for the sake of an animal only made him more attracted to her. But he sighed almost inaudibly when he remembered how she had looked at him. She didn't like him, not the way he liked her. He thought that he would be lucky if she even tolerated him.

All three breathed a collective sigh of relief when evening finally came and the sun started going down. The absence of the sun made the temperature cool, even pleasant. Ayenna and Dhert were both glad when Glinda announced that they were stopping for the night when they came to the first sign of life since the tiny village they got the horses from. This second village was even smaller than the first, and boasted only one inn. It was actually someone's home, but the two guest bedrooms for rent made it a veritable four-star hotel. They rented both rooms, and Glinda and Ayenna took the larger one, leaving the smaller one that had a single bed for Dhert. Despite the lumpy mattresses and lack of creature comforts, they all fell asleep quickly. Traveling was exhausting.

Dhert woke with a start in the middle of the night, drenched with sweat. He vaguely remembered a nightmare, but what it had been about, he had no idea. He got up, went outdoors, and got himself some water from the rusting pump. As he went back to his room, he glanced in the girls' room. In the dark he could just make out the sleeping form of Glinda, her golden curls splayed on the pillow, and across the room, Ayenna. His breath caught in his throat as he noted her rising and falling chest and her emerald features. He stared for a few moments, then caught himself and went back to bed.

Dhert was the first to rise the next morning, but he felt distinctly uncomfortable about going into the girls' room to wake them up. So, he decided to go out and interview some of the villagers for the article they were supposed to be writing for the Gazette. Once he was dressed and had been supplied with a meager breakfast from the house owner's wife, he made his way out into the street.

Regardless of its size, the town had many people living in it, and there seemed to be no end to the sticky-faced children who looked at him with wide, wide eyes. This, he realized, was poverty. Many of the larger houses were something like hovels, and the smaller houses couldn't even be considered that. He could also tell that this place had been ravaged by war, and not too long ago, either. Several buildings were burned, and he could see a man digging a mass grave with plenty of bodies stacked up to go into it. It was the gravedigger that he decided to interview first.

"Excuse me, Sir, I was wondering if--" he started once he had reached the graveyard.

"Sorry, kid, I'm kind of busy," the man said, but not unkindly.

"No, please, Sir, it is for a newspaper article back in the Emerald City."

"The Emerald City, huh?" the man said, leaning on his shovel and wiping his face with a sleeve, "Why did you come all the way out here for a newspaper article?"

Dhert tried to ignore the pile of festering bodies behind the man and said, "Well, people need to know what's going on. Besides, with knowledge comes change."

"Wise words. Ok, do you just want me to answer some questions?"

"Yes, please."

"Ask away, then."

"Well, I don't actually know anything about these riots you are having, so can you just give me a general outline of them?" Dhert asked.

"Well, I don't think 'riots' is the right word. Maybe a few months ago it was, but now the correct word is 'war,'" the man said with a sigh, "You see, ever since the Glikkus was created, there have been fights about whether it should be Gillikinese, Munchkinlander, or its own separate state. Almost all the people who live in the Glikkus are from one of those places or have ancestors that came from there. Recently, the petty barroom fights escalated into full-scale battles."

"That's all? You can't decide what state you are a part of?" Dhert asked incredulously.

"Aye. It's a bit silly, really. Honestly, I think most of the ones who started it just wanted something to fight about. It gave them an excuse to start it all. Then, our boys and men got drafted and went to fight. I guess that's how wars start, with the stupidity of a few key people. The Glikkus isn't that well off, though, and this certainly isn't going to help anything."

Dhert nodded.

"I mean, look at all these bodies," the gravedigger said, gesturing behind him, "Among them is my own son. My only son."

"I am so sorry," Dhert said sincerely, "Thank you so much for your time, but I have to go."

The man went back to his work, and Dhert left, feeling heavy-hearted. He trudged to the pub, knowing he would get a good interview or two from there.

He opened the heavy tavern door and stepped into a musty, dim room that smelled of alcohol. Several men and a few Animals, namely a Leopard, a Gazelle, and a Polar Bear, sat around tables, nursing drinks and glowering at no one in particular. It was the quietest pub Dhert had ever entered. He sat down at the table that was hosting one of the men and the Gazelle.

"Would you mind answering some questions for a newspaper article?" he asked the man.

The man just looked at him, glared, and then got up and left.

"I will answer your questions," the Gazelle said.

"Thank you," Dhert said gratefully, "I was wondering if you could tell me whether you think the Glikkus should be part of Gillikin or Munchkinland."

The Gazelle opened his mouth to answer, but a barrel-chested man sitting a table over beat him to it.

"Everyone with sense knows the Glikkus should be Gillikinese," he said.

Murmurs of agreement ensued, but one voice called above the others.

"It needs to be Munchkinlander," the voice belonged to another man, one whose short stature said clearer than any words where he was from.

Heads throughout the tavern swiveled to look at the Munchkin. Most were glaring and the Leopard made a deep growling noise from the back of its throat.

Dhert, who could see that a brawl was going to proceed, quickly got up and left. He hadn't made it halfway down the street before the yelling started. He was glad he had gotten away.


	11. Ambush

Hey guys. Here's Chapter Eleven for you. Please review; you don't know how much I love receiving them. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Wicked. Does. Not. Belong. To. Me.

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Ayenna woke from a dream involving Dhert and things that she wouldn't have admitted in a million years, to Glinda poking her insistently.

"Whaddayou want?" Ayenna asked sleepily, longing for the forbidden beauty of that dream again.

"We have traveling to do! Get up! No, don't you go back to slee--"

Glinda was interrupted by the loud snore that issued from Ayenna's sleeping mouth.

"AHHH!" Glinda cried in frustration. She ended up having to grab Ayenna's feet and tug until the green girl fell out of the bed.

A moment before, Dhert had walked into the house, and he walked past the girls' room to see Ayenna lying on the floor with Glinda standing over her, looking ready to kick her. He had to suppress a grin.

"Having fun?" he asked.

"She sleeps like a dead giraffe!"

"Nice simile," he walked to his room, feeling considerably cheered up.

When Ayenna had finally been woken up and they had all gotten ready, they got their horses from where they had tied them up behind the house, paid for the rooms, and left without further ado.

Once they had gotten out of sight of the village, Dhert noticed Ayenna was sagging sleepily on her horse, who she had taken to calling "Harold." Dhert had privately taken to calling his "Nasty-cur-who-stinks-of-dung."

"Ayenna, I could tie your horse to mine, and you could go to sleep without worrying about going off course," he offered.

"I don't need sleep," she said curtly, though she went slightly cross-eyed with tiredness as she said it.

"Ok, then," he said.

"Glinda said that you weren't at the house when she woke up. Where were you?" asked Ayenna, carrying on the conversation mainly to keep herself awake.

"I was interviewing some people for our article."

"Oh. What did you fi-i-i," she gave an enormous yawn, "What did you find out?"

"Apparently, these riots, or more lately, wars, are over whether the Glikkus should be part of the Gillikin or Munchkinland."

"That is a stupid thing to have wars over."

"Yes, well, most fights are over stupid things," he said, hoping she got his hint about her recent anger at him.

If she got his reference, she did not show it. She did, however, fall silent. When he saw that her head was nodding gently against Harold's neck, he found himself feeling a bit jealous of the horse and tied him to Nasty-cur-who-stinks-of-dung.

"Where are we?" he asked Glinda.

"Somewhere between the Glikkus/Gillikin border and The Scalps," she answered vaguely.

Dhert felt like going to sleep as well, but he wouldn't let himself.

"Glinda, you do have _some_ idea of where we're going, don't you?"

"Don't worry," she said, while not answering the question.

He chose to ignore this and said instead, "Glinda, tell me about Ayenna's parents."

"What do you want to know?" Glinda asked shiftily.

"Well, I mean, are they green?"

"Her mother is. Her father is normal colored."

"Why green?"

"It's a long story, Dhert. One that even Ayenna doesn't know. When the time is right, that will be revealed, but not before then," Glinda said with an air of finality.

Dhert, taking no notice of her tone asked, "Why so much secrecy?"

"Dhert, I will not be coerced into discussing this."

Dhert fell into a sulk and the only noise came from the horses' hooves on the hard ground and Ayenna's occasional grunts in her sleep.

Around noon, Dhert spied a carriage approaching them from behind at a fast clip. So fast, in fact, that dust swirled around the wheels. The fact that it was coming up right behind them worried him. It wasn't like it couldn't pass them out here in the wilderness. But perhaps the carriage-riders just wanted to talk?

"Glinda, who do you think that is? And what do they want?" he asked.

"Oh no."

"What?"

"I have a very bad feeling about this," she said shakily, "I think they might be highwaymen!"

Dhert yelled for Ayenna to wake up, which she did with a start. She took one look behind them, untied her horse from Dhert's and forced it into a gallop, yelling for the other two to do the same.

They followed her example, and soon, all four horses were racing across the barren ground. But, no matter how fast they pushed their horses, the carriage only gained on them.

Ayenna mumbled a curse and shouted, "Why does this one portion of the land have to be so flat? The rest of the Glikkus we've traveled through has been rocky and hilly. At least in those places we had a place to hide, and the carriage would have more difficulty."

"Well, there aren't any places to hide, and they aren't going to suddenly run into something, so let's keep trying to outrun them!" Dhert yelled.

"You fool, we will never be able to outrun them! We might as well hand ourselves over on silver platters!"

As much as he hated to admit it, she was right.

It was only a matter of minutes before the horses finally gave out, and all four stopped dead at the same time, as if on cue.

Ayenna groaned and buried her head in her hands, Dhert checked to make sure that his sword was at his side, and Glinda merely looked frightened.

The highwayman, for that was indeed what he was, and there was only one of him, pulled his carriage right up to the travelers and stopped on a dime.

"What do you want?" Dhert called bravely.

"Well, I would say your valuables, but that would just sound cliché. But, it is indeed your valuables that I am after," said the highwayman driving the carriage. He wore finery that had obviously been stolen, as it was a little too large on him. He accented the look with a black strip of cloth tied across his face, with holes left for the eyes. He held a wicked looking dagger.

"What makes you think we'll give them up?" asked Ayenna.

"Sweet Oz! You're green, you know!" he cried.

"Really? I hadn't noticed. Thanks for that."

Glinda shook her head to herself. Her initial assumptions about the girl had been wrong. She did indeed have her mother's sarcasm.

"Look, just give me your valuables, and I'll let you go," he said, trying to regain control of the situation.

"Well, I cannot speak for my fellow travelers, but I have no valuables. Other than my mind, that is," Ayenna said.

"Well, that doesn't mean they don't," the highwayman said, gesturing at Dhert and Glinda.

"I believe that is what I just said. By all means, search our bags. You will find nothing of interest," Ayenna said.

"I will. Everyone who saw you three in town, well, the lady and the boy, anyway, agreed that you looked rich. They thought that you looked like an overgrown tree fungus," he said, directing the last part at Ayenna.

"Oh, did they notice that I'm green too? What amazing eyesight they have."

The man chose to ignore her and he grabbed one of Glinda's bags and started rifling through it. When he saw that it had only clothes in it, he scowled.

"Oh well, I can still sell clothes," he said, tossing the suitcase in his trunk. Glinda looked furious, but she said nothing. He proceeded to confiscate every bag they had, except for Ayenna's which he refused to touch in case he "caught something" and their food satchel.

"I don't want you to starve," he explained, "Stealing is one thing, but murder is completely different."

"Oh, how very generous of you," Ayenna said, rolling her eyes.

"Your tongue should be cut off," he shot at her and turned his carriage and rode away speedily.

"My clothes!" cried Glinda.


	12. Over the Mountain

Chapter Eleven is here! And I would like to thank you guys for the overwhelming amount of reviews. They made my week!

The Phantom's Muse: I know, cute, huh? I love the sarcasm too.

ClarkeWithAnE: I agree, but I suppose we should leave it up to them. Haha.

The-Good-Die-Alone: I'm glad you found it humorous. D

Mosrael Chaos: The way I look at it, in Oz, they lack cameras, so unless Glinda was wearing a signature poofy dress, tiara, and carrying her wand, they are unlikely to recognize her. Besides all that, she looks like an ordinary Gillikinese girl.

elphabathedelirious32: Your wish, well half of it, granted. Enjoy!

Scarlett Dahlin: He did indeed. And it's ok, we all suffer from occasional Glinda-ness. ;D

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Wicked, or any of the canon characters. They belong to Gregory MacGuire and Stephen Schwartz.

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"He wasn't a particularly good highwayman," commented Ayenna.

"My clothes!" repeated Glinda, pulling at her hair.

"I mean, most highwaymen don't get chatty with their victims."

"My clothes!"

"And I doubt that he even knew how to use that knife."

"My clothes!"  
"Oh, shut up!"

"Glinda," Dhert said, butting in, "Why didn't you use your magic to stop him? You are a witch, aren't you?"

"I, uh, didn't want to, uh…give away my identity!" Glinda stuttered, "Yes, that's it. I didn't want to give away my identity!"

Dhert looked unconvinced, and Ayenna gave a cough that sounded suspiciously like a snort.

Ayenna had changed, and she knew it. Sometime around the point when she discovered that she had a mother and who her mother was, who her mother had been, she had started changing. She had stopped being herself, or, perhaps, she had just started. Either way, the quiet, well-mannered girl from the orphanage was gone, replaced with a strong-willed, sarcastic woman. She wondered regretfully why she couldn't have changed color as well.

"Did anyone lose anything important?" she asked.

"I lost my notepad," Dhert said remorsefully, not worrying about his personal belongings that had been stolen.

"You can right on your arm," she replied dismissively.

"Well, it's all right for you," Glinda sniffed, "He didn't take _your_ things."

"He wouldn't have wanted my bags even if he hadn't been too frightened to look through them. All that I have is another frock, some old books, undergarments--"

Here Dhert blushed.

"--and my mother's hat and bottle," she continued, "Trust me, nothing he could have sold. That's one of the few good things about being poor; no one wants to steal from you."

The rest of the day passed uneventfully apart from Glinda's regular sniffles. Ayenna had taken to the front of the group of horses, and Dhert sensed that she had become leader in more than one way. She was calling the shots now.

They reached the foot of the mountains that evening and Ayenna announced that they were stopping for the night.

"But where will we sleep?" Glinda protested, still angry at her loss of power.

"The world is your mattress, 'Oh Good One.' Find somewhere with soft dirt to curl up on."

Glinda chose this moment to start giving her the silent treatment.

Ayenna chose this moment to not care.

Dhert decided to take Ayenna's advice and find a spot to sleep on. He knew that he was in for a rough night having no blanket or pillow. Ayenna, he saw, had pulled out her second dress and wadded it up in a ball to serve as a pillow.

Glinda, meanwhile, was sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest, glaring straight ahead. She fully intended to stay up all night. Someone had to watch over Dhert and Ayenna. Who knew what kind of animals might come out to prey on sleeping children here? Glinda felt ashamed with herself. She knew that she had been behaving childishly. Still, this new Ayenna reminded Glinda too strongly of Elphaba. It was like being with her old friend again, only Glinda had forgotten what a handful Elphaba could be sometimes. The heat, boredom, and the general nastiness of traveling had made her grumpy. The fact that a sixteen-year-old was ordering her around only helped put her in an even fouler mood. Glinda was also excited but nervous about seeing her old friends again. Elphaba was bound to be angry with her blatant disregard for her wishes. Still, Glinda had missed her friend terribly. Right after Elphaba had "died," Glinda had gone into a serious depression, and it took several years for her to move on.

She didn't realize how long she had been with her thoughts until she saw that the sun had completely set and Dhert and Ayenna were both sleeping. She noticed how far apart they had chosen their beds. It was like they were trying to hide their feelings for each other, which, she told herself, was probably the case.

"Oh Elphaba," she murmured into the night sky.

She wondered how they would find her. After all, when Elphaba did not want to be found, no one could find her. But Glinda had just felt like if she had got them into the Glikkus, everything would be all right. But they had been in the Glikkus for many days, and they had not had even one sign of the green woman or her lover. Glinda wondered briefly if they had gotten married, then she decided it was time to put her thoughts to bed. Despite her attempts at staying awake, she soon succumbed to her tiredness and slept.

Ayenna awoke to Dhert's gentle hand caressing her shoulder. She moaned in ecstasy, and then remembered that she had decided not to love him. She sat up and glared at him to wipe the grin off his face.

"It's time to get going," he said in explanation for his invasion of her personal space.

She glanced at the sun, deduced that it was about nine o' clock, and nodded once.

"We'll have to leave the horses," she said a little sadly.

Glinda and Dhert both knew she was right, but they were rather unwilling to give up their mounts as well, only for a different reason. They had not bonded with their animals as she had, but they dreaded the prospect of proceeding on foot. But there was no other choice. The horses couldn't make it over The Scalps. The mountains were far too steep and challenging for that.

Ayenna couldn't help but feel glad that they had lost their luggage; it would make it much easier to get over these hills. Though where they would go from there, Ayenna didn't know. They weren't so much searching for her parents, so much as wandering. But there wasn't much more she could do when she had no idea where they were.

As one, they stood and surveyed the nearest peak. It was mainly forested, but there were sections that comprised of nothing more than smooth outcroppings of rock. They would have to steer clear of those if they hoped to make it to the top. That is, unless the rocks proved to have something usable as handholds when they got close enough to inspect them.

Slowly, reluctantly, they started their uphill trudge. It wasn't long before they were all panting. The climb was going to be a difficult one. Luckily, Ayenna had noticed that the top was rather rounded, so they could at least have somewhere to sleep if they didn't make it all the way down the other side.

Ayenna was a little surprised when they came upon the first house--well--cottage nestled in among the trees. The fact that there was, in fact, people living on these mountains had not been obvious from the ground. At this cottage, an older woman was puttering about outside, watering her small vegetable garden.

She glanced up, saw them, and waved them over with a happy smile.

"Hello!" she said brightly, wiping hands dirty from gardening on her skirts, "Who might you be?"

The three companions introduced themselves.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you! I get so little company anymore. Henik and I moved up here because we wanted to get away from the world, but he passed away a few years ago, and with it so sparsely populated up here, and my aging body, I don't get out much to be neighborly."

"There are other people living in The Scalps?" Dhert asked.

"Yes, of course. It is peaceful, and at one time, people who wanted to be ignored by the Wizard came to live here."

"Do you know of anyone living out here who is green?" Ayenna interjected.

"No dear, I'm sorry. Looking for the Wicked Witch of the West are you?" she chuckled, "Would you like to come in for some tea?"

"No, we really had best be on our way. Thank you though!" Glinda said, slipping into parlor manners as easily as one could slip into bed with the handsome gentleman from down the corner, you know, the one who lives in that posh place with the three carriages and the stables?

The woman looked a bit disappointed, but they continued along.

They kept up the steady pace and made better time than Ayenna had expected. In fact, they had reached the bottom of the first mountain by nightfall.

_Only a billion more to go_, thought Ayenna sarcastically, rubbing her aching legs when they stopped and got ready for bed. Ayenna built a fire to discourage any animals that might come hunting in the night and ate some fire-heated vegetable soup from a can. Following this, she fell asleep almost immediately. Dhert was the second to slumber, and Glinda slept just a few moments after him.

An hour or two later, Glinda awoke, thinking she had heard a noise. She was about to drift off when she heard it again. She was instantly awake, fearing the attack of a wild beast. She heard a rustle from somewhere behind her, but before she could turn or react in any way, a strong hand enveloped her mouth. She bit down savagely on the hand and was not surprised when the hand let go of her.

"Sweet Oz!" a voice behind her exclaimed in whisper after a muttered expletive.

Glinda turned quickly, and even by the flickering firelight alone, it was obvious who the hand, voice, and the green skin belonged to.

"Elphaba!" exclaimed Glinda.


	13. New Acquaintances

firebolt669: Yeah, I think everyone was getting annoyed with waiting for them.

The-Good-Die-Alone: Dhert's explanations will come a little later. He's being quiet for the time being. Haha.

Mosrael Chaos: That mental image made me giggle! pokes horse with wand

ClarkeWithAnE: Yay indeed!

elphabathedelirious32: Here's your wish!

The Phantom's Muse: I totally agree, Dhert is very cute. ;D

**Disclaimer:** Guess what? I still don't own Wicked!

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"Not so loud, you fool!" Elphaba, for it was she, whispered fiercely, "I see you are as blonde as eve--" She was cut off by an enormous hug from Glinda and she nearly choked on golden hair.

"Elphie!" Glinda said, containing her joy in a loud whisper, "I knew we'd find you!"

"You mean, you knew _I'd _find _you_."

"Well, yes."

"You know, Glinda, there was a reason that I told you not to come looking for me," Elphaba said, though she didn't really sound mad.

"Elphie, you should know me well enough to know that I would come to look for you no matter what," Glinda told her.

"Yes, well, I didn't think you would know where to look for me."

"Well, you did use paper made in the Glikkus and someone drew an emerald in the corner of the letters."

"Fiyero! I told him not to mess with them. He never listens," Elphaba said.

"Well, those were sufficient clues to lead me to the Glikkus," Glinda told her.

"But you still didn't have any idea where I was. You were just wandering. I know; I was watching you."

"How?"

"I acquired a crystal ball."

"Oh, Elphie, how dreadfully cliché!" teased Glinda.

"I know, I know," Elphaba said, "But it _has _been helpful. I was able to keep an eye on you and Ayenna. Is that her over there?" She gestured to where Ayenna lay sleeping.

"No, Elphaba, that's just a random green girl I picked up along the way," Glinda said, "Of course it's her! Elphie, how are you and Fiyero still alive?"

"No need to be grumpy, and we can discuss my miraculous escape later," Elphaba said, skirting the fire and the question and going to where Ayenna slept. She held a hand beside her daughter's face. They were almost the exact same color, with Ayenna only slightly lighter.

"She's just like you, you know," Glinda said softly.

"Lucky her."

"Are you going to wake her?"

"I don't know."

"You aren't scared, are you, Miss Elphaba Thropp?" asked Glinda.

"No…I just…I don't want to wake her."

"You _are_ scared. She's your daughter, not a rabid dog. You will have to talk to her sooner or later," Glinda said, a little amused at this timidity in Elphaba she had never seen before.

"Yes, well, later would be better," Elphaba said stiffly.

"Where are you living at?" Glinda asked, remembering how Elphaba had seemed to appear from nowhere.

"Fiyero and I found a network of caves just screaming to be moved into. We only live in a small portion of them, but they go through most of The Scalps. You just have know where to look for the entrances. In fact, we should all go there right now. Goodness knows they are warmer than this valley."

"And you plan to do this without waking or talking to Ayenna?"

"No, I will have to speak to her, but first, Glinda, tell me about her," Elphaba said, almost desperately.

"Like I already said, she is just like you. She retains your sarcasm, wit, and love for Animals," Glinda told her.

Elphaba's face was hard to read, "And who is that?" she asked, gesturing to Dhert's quiescent form.

"His name is Dhert. Apparently, Ayenna got a job at a newspaper in the Emerald City and he is a coworker. Ayenna's boss told them to come out here to do a story on the recent outbreaks of fighting. It's just as well, because Ayenna and I were coming anyway."

"What's he like?"

"He's a gentleman. Usually pretty quiet, but I think he has feelings for Ayenna. You know how good I am at telling things like that," Glinda said.

Elphaba had the grace to not say that she must have had a lapse of that talent when she had believed that Fiyero loved her.

"I suppose we should wake them," Elphaba said, a little reluctantly.

"Yes. Where's Fiyero?" asked Glinda, just realizing that he wasn't there.

"Oh, I didn't tell him you were coming. He would have had a fit trying to get everything ready for Ayenna, and I didn't want him jumping about like a sugar-high puppy. You three will just be a nice surprise for him," Elphaba said, "Would you like to wake her…?" she seemed scared to touch her daughter.

Glinda thought this was a bit odd, but then again, was there anything about Elphaba that wasn't? She nodded and went to where the teenagers slept. She woke Dhert first, knowing he would be the easier to get up. Next, she moved to Ayenna, noticing how Elphaba had effaced herself into the tree line to avoid being spotted by the boy. Ayenna was a bit more difficult to wake, but Glinda finally managed the feat.

"What do you want now?" Ayenna asked in a sleepy groan, "I would like at least a _little_ sleep."

"Ayenna, dear, someone is here who would like to meet you," Glinda said nervously.

"They can wait until morning, can't they?"

"No, they can't," Elphaba said, stepping out from behind a tree.

Ayenna's mouth literally fell open, "Is that…?" she asked Glinda.

"Yes," Elphaba answered for her, "I am your mother."

Dhert knew her as only one person, "You're the Wicked Witch of the West!" he said, his voice trembling from fear and excitement.

"Yes, I suppose that would be me."

"But…but…you're dead!" Dhert cried.

"Well, obviously, I'm not."

"Oh Dhert, she isn't really wicked, you see--" Glinda started.

"For all intents and purposes, I _am_ wicked, Glinda. Everyone in Oz believes it, why go trying to change it now? It's easier just being considered dead," Elphaba said testily.

"Mother?" Ayenna said. She wasn't really asking anything, just trying out the word. However, it was so new to her that it came out as a question.

Elphaba seemed to understand this and she merely nodded, "Everyone get your things together," she said after a moment, "I'm taking you to my home."


	14. Underground

The-Good-Die-Alone: Actually, Dhert's lack of protecting is explained in this chapter. He isn't prone to agressiveness, and even if he was, he trusts Glinda's judgement enough not to attack Elphaba. Besides, she isn't threatening Ayenna in any way.

elphabathedelirious32: joins in happy dance That is just so much fun!

ClarkWithAnE: Thanks so much for the positive words! You have no idea how worried I was about bringing Elphaba in. I was terrified that she would be really out of character.

The Phantom's Muse: Well, if all that hinting was of any indication, this chapter should make you _very_ happy! Haha.

Scarlett Dahlin: Oh please have mercy on my soul! Here, an update! Now you have no excuse to turn me into something bad! ;D

ElphieandFiyero4ever: Thanks for the encouragement!

Maria Whitman: I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Also, the gaps between updates may increase some due to extreme stress at school and lack of time to write. sobs I'm very sorry, but I will do my best to get enough written to post at least once a week or so!

**Disclaimer:** I. Don't. Own. Wicked.

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For the entirety of the walk to the nearest entrance to the network of caves that were serving as home for Elphaba and Fiyero, Ayenna was silent. Elphaba, in equal silence, moved away some brush from a cleverly-concealed crevice in the forest floor a ways from their campground that obviously led into the cave.

One by one, for the size of the crevice only allowed one person at a time to squeeze in, they climbed into the hole. Elphaba went in first so she could help the others, Ayenna and Dhert followed, and Glinda brought up the rear. When Elphaba reached up to help Ayenna down, she expected some electric charge to flow through her when her hand brushed her daughter's, but nothing happened. Still, she kept her eyes lowered, just in case. Dhert refused to accept her hand, and she found herself not liking the boy. Glinda must have seen the barely concealed anger in her face, for when it was her turn, she shook her head at Elphaba very gently as if reprimanding her.

Elphaba chose to ignore this and Glinda's poor attempts at starting up a conversation. The green woman merely nodded or shook her head, and when Glinda tried asking questions that couldn't be answered with 'yes' or 'no,' Elphaba just didn't respond. Glinda sighed, frustrated, but she gave up for the moment, for which Elphaba was glad.

After what seemed like an age spent walking in the moist darkness of the cave tunnels penetrated only by the small torch that Elphaba had had waiting for the trek, Glinda asked how much farther it was.

"Not too much farther," Elphaba grunted noncommittally. She glanced back at her traveling party. Glinda was still in the back of the group, and Dhert and Ayenna were just in front of her, walking rather awkwardly beside each other. Elphaba had always wanted to meet her daughter, but now she rather wished she had just left them to wander through The Scalps until they gave up looking for her. The girl was an enigma, but Elphaba suspected that she was much more like her than she knew. Still, Elphaba had no idea how to behave around her. Her motherly feelings were buried deep and hard to access. She knew they were there, but she did not know this girl from Lurline. And how was she to get to know her if they both kept up this stubborn silence? She planned to speak to the girl, just not with this audience watching.

Ayenna surveyed her mother, trying to keep an indifferent air, but meeting this woman was painful, especially since Elphaba seemed to be frightened of her only child. Ayenna felt anger bubbling dangerously in her as it seemed more and more prone to do these days. Still, she couldn't help but marvel at the emerald skin tones of the woman. It was like looking into a mirror, (something she was not fond or doing) and seeing an older version of herself. However, Elphaba's dark hair pulled back in that tight bun and the black dress made her look more menacing than Ayenna had ever managed to pull off. She wondered what her father would be like.

Glinda was annoyed by Elphaba's stubbornness. She had thought the reunion would be full of hugs, tears, and reexamined bygone memories, not everyone walking through some tunnel to Lurline-knows-where with more than one pair of eyes glaring at the ground. Also, her fashionably-clad feet hurt.

Dhert was the only one of the four who wasn't angry. How could he be angry when he was so hopelessly confused? By the Unnamed God, Ayenna's mother was the Wicked Witch of the West! His father had always sympathized was the Witch, saying it "wasn't her fault" that she was wicked. Dhert, though, was used to his eccentricity and just thought that she was evil like everyone else. But of course, he was only a toddler when she had been killed, so he had never understood much of what went on. This woman, however, did not seem evil. Grumpy and sarcastic, maybe, but not evil. She was a lot like Ayenna, he noted. He decided to keep his silence for the time being. After all, Glinda seemed to trust her; why shouldn't he?

A few moments later, Elphaba stopped. The cave had narrowed immensely, and the space which would allow them to continue was fitted with a crude wooden door.

"This is home," Elphaba said and knocked twice on the door. Footsteps could be heard echoing hollowly from behind the partition, and a moment later, the door opened. The room beyond was lit with many candles that threw soft, flickering shadows on the cave floor and walls. A man stood in the doorway, his mouth slightly agape at the people standing on his doorstep. His hair was longish and the color of straw. His skin was normal colored.

He was, Ayenna thought, very handsome. She wondered if he could possibly be the man who sired her.

"Fiyero," Elphaba said simply.

His mouth closed at her word and he smiled brighter than Ayenna had ever seen anyone smile.

"Elphaba, would you like to introduce me to these people?" he asked without taking his eyes off Ayenna.

"Fiyero, don't pretend you don't know who they are. Well, you probably don't know who the boy is, but you know the other two."

He smiled at Elphaba, not offended in the least, "Ayenna…"

"Yes, Father?" she asked, the word coming naturally despite its lack of use on her tongue.

"You are so beautiful. I….I never thought I would get to meet you," he said, breaking into sobs of happiness and he rushed to embrace her.

Ayenna stood awkwardly, neither accepting nor denying the hug, just waiting for him to be done. She noticed how careful he was not to get his tears on her skin, and she was grateful.

"We are going to have a long talk later," he said with an utterly contented beam as he let go of her.

Glinda cleared her throat in a way that was as loud as possible without being impolite.

"Glinda!" he cried, and hugged her too.

She looked happy to be noticed and patted his back.

"We have so much catching up to do!" Fiyero said, stepping back to stand beside Elphaba who looked a bit disapproving of his tears and gushiness.

"And who is this young man?" he asked the group in general.

"I'm Dhert, sir. I work with Ayenna back in the Emerald City at a newspaper. I came to the Glikkus to do a story and to be Ayenna's bodyguard, but it seems she was the real bodyguard, of all of us. She is quite the leader, sir."

Fiyero smiled at Dhert and his daughter warmly.

"You must come in!" he exclaimed, gesturing them through the doorway, "Elphaba, why didn't you tell me they were coming? I could have gotten everything decorated!"

"That's why I didn't tell you," Elphaba said with a smirk.


	15. Conversations and Explanations

It's been ages since I've updated, and I'm sorry. Lately, time has been difficult for me to come by. The fact that I've been working on about five different stories at the same time for all sorts of things hasn't helped either. Hopefully I'll find more time to write this. Please read and review!

**Disclaimer:** Not mine.

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The group was led into the spacious cave that served as a home to Elphaba and Fiyero. The place was cozy enough. Although it was warmer than the night outside, it was a cave and was therefore still very cool. Ayenna noticed that there was a small natural stream that flowed inside in the right-hand corner of the cavern. The rock basin it flowed into was shaped so like a bowl that it could have no other use besides a bathtub. Ayenna guessed that it was only used by Fiyero since Elphaba shared her cat-like aversion to water.

Fiyero showed them to some chairs that appeared to be handmade. He bade they take seats and then sat down himself. Only Elphaba remained standing. They sat in awkward silence for a few moments, and Fiyero stared at Ayenna as if expecting her to speak. When she said nothing, Glinda interjected.

"How are you two even alive?"

"It's a long story, Glinda, but it is one that you need to hear. Seventeen years ago, after I said goodbye to you for the last time, you will remember that I was 'melted.' However, no more than a few thimblefuls of water actually touched me, and most of it just hit my dress.

"Fiyero and I had planned on escape, an escape which would leave me believed dead. At the thirteenth hour, I stood in the appointed place where I knew that my 'demise' would take place. Unknown to anyone but Fiyero and I, there was a concealed trapdoor at my feet. When that wretched little twit, that Dorothy, threw a bucket of water at me, I triggered the trapdoor and disappeared. They believed they had successfully eradicated me.

"After waiting for things to cool down, Fiyero came to get me, and under cover of darkness, we fled. We had meant to go to Quox, but we stumbled onto these caves by mistake and have lived here ever since," Elphaba explained.

"But Fiyero was already dead! How could he save you?" Glinda asked.

Fiyero chuckled, "I am not dead, Glinda. When they led me away to kill me, Fae here," he looked affectionately over at Elphaba, "used a spell to keep me from dying. She turned me into a scarecrow."

"Then why aren't you a scarecrow?" spluttered Glinda.

"Fae brought the Grimmerie with us, and she managed to find a spell to turn me back eventually."

After several minutes of meaningless jabber, most of it contributed by Fiyero and Glinda, Dhert did his best to stifle a yawn.

"Perhaps we should go to bed," Elphaba interjected quietly from her corner.

"What? Oh yes….Yes, I suppose they are tired," Fiyero said, sounding a little flustered at being cut off mid-prattle.

The cave housed no bed other than the one belonging to Elphaba and Fiyero. They willingly gave it up, and in the end, Glinda slept on it. The others were provided with blankets and pillows, and they went in search of a cave corner to curl up in.

Ayenna purposefully distanced herself from everyone else, especially Dhert. She felt she had to shun him; perhaps it would stunt the growth of certain feelings.

Dhert noticed this snub but tried to pretend it didn't bother him. He settled in for the night and tried not to think about the fact that they were technically sleeping in the same room and that if the adults left, they would be quite alone…

Sometime in the stillness of the night, Glinda awoke with a start from a pale green hand resting on her shoulder.

"Elphaba! You frightened me!"

"Sorry. Scoot over some," Elphaba said in a whisper.

Glinda complied and Elphaba sat down beside her on the bed.

"Now we can talk," Elphaba said.

"Sharing secrets in the middle of the night," Glinda said wistfully, "It reminds me so much of Shiz."

Elphaba grinned. "I know. I've missed you Glinda."

"I've missed you too," she hugged Elphaba. "Have you talked to Ayenna one-on-one yet?"

"No."

"What about Fiyero?"

"He snuck out of bed about half-an-hour ago. I'm sure he's talking to her," Elphaba said.

"Oh."

"Poor girl, she's not going to get _any_ sleep tonight. I'm going to go speak to her in a little while. I just want to give him some time to talk to her," Elphaba said, "So, Glinda, what have you been up to? Any men?"

"Other than being the figurehead of Oz, I haven't been up to much. No…no men."

"Glinda, please, I hardly see you as celibate," Elphaba said with a smirk.

"Well, maybe I've changed."

"No one changes that much."

"You'd be surprised," Glinda said coldly, "Believing that my best friend was dead for seventeen years had its tolls on me."

"Glinda…"

"Don't. You obviously had no intention of ever seeing me again. I wouldn't even be here now if it weren't for Fiyero."

"Neither would I. He hatched my escape plan seventeen years ago. And Glinda, you know that you were…are…my best friend. I was afraid for not only mine and Fiyero's safety, but yours as well. I still hold to what I told you all those years ago. If you had come out with the story of our friendship, they would have turned against you," Elphaba told her.

"I know," Glinda conceded, "I just wish you could have at least told _me _sooner."

"The risks were too great. Any way I could have contacted you might have led to discovery. I thought that I might be able to get in touch with you when things cooled down, which I did. Unfortunately, people still have enough fear of me for me to attempt it without extreme secrecy. I _am_ glad to see you."

"And I'm glad to see you," Glinda said, "So, you've just been hiding out in this cave like a green Ozma, all these years?"

"You know I don't believe in that nonsensical children's story. But yes, I suppose my life has been somewhat like hers."

A shadowy figure detached itself from the cave wall where Ayenna was and crept back to the opposite corner that Elphaba and Fiyero had made into a bed.

"That'll be Fiyero," Elphaba said, "I suppose I should go talk to Ayenna."

"Good luck."

Glinda hugged her, and Elphaba left without another word.


End file.
